pasta

American  

[pah-stuh, pas-tuh] / ˈpɑ stə, ˈpæs tə /

noun

1. any of various flour-and-egg food preparations of Italian origin, made of thin, unleavened dough and produced in a variety of forms, usually served with a sauce and sometimes stuffed.

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pasta British  

/ ˈpæstə /

noun

1. any of several variously shaped edible preparations made from a flour and water dough, such as spaghetti

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Etymology

Origin of pasta

1870–75; < Italian < Late Latin. See paste

Explanation

Pasta is any Italian style of noodle, including spaghetti, ziti, and macaroni. Your favorite type of pasta might be fettuccine, especially when it's served in a creamy Alfredo sauce. Pasta refers to the noodle, or to the dish that contains it, like vegetable lasagna or spaghetti carbonara. Most pasta is made from semolina flour and water, and often eggs. The stiff dough is rolled very thin and then cut into shapes or long ribbons. It can be cooked from this soft, fresh state, or (more commonly) dried, packaged, and sold. Pasta is an Italian word (surprise, surprise), from Late Latin, which means "dough or paste."

Example Sentences

Eastough, who's been farming for almost 40 years, grows wheat, canola and lupin with the wheat either exported to South-East Asia for udon noodles or used domestically in biscuits, bread and pasta.

From BBC • May 30, 2026

Chicken salad, tuna salad, pasta salad, potato salad — any of the vaguely retro, mayo-bound “salads” that aren’t really about lettuce at all — benefit from pickle juice.

From Salon • May 28, 2026

I do like, however, that a 10-minute buildout has reduced how many bags of pasta I have open at any given time.

From Slate • May 24, 2026

And it will lower tariffs on more products, and give duty-free access to pasta, chocolate, potatoes, canned peaches, eggs and certain poultry products.

From Barron's • May 22, 2026

After her run, Annabelle takes a long nap, and then they find a brewpub, or she eats an enormous pasta dish that he’s fixed.

From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti

Related Words

• gnocchi
• linguine
• macaroni
• ravioli
• spaghetti
• tortellini